Bangladesh Visa Information

U.S. passport holders are eligible for a Bangladesh visa on arrival.
This facility is available for visitors with official business,
business/trade, potential investment and tourism purposes. The visa on
arrival is also applicable to members of defense or security forces who
have obtained clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs of the
Bangladesh government. The Bangladesh visa on arrival allows the holder
single entry with a period of not more than 30 days. However, travelers
are advised to check with airlines on whether they will allow
passengers without a Bangladesh visa to board.

To avoid confusion, you may want to contract a private expediting
service. Expediters have experience in acquiring visas from every
country that requires a visa. They hand deliver your application, pick
up your passport with the visa stamp and send it to you. To learn more
about this service, click the link to apply for your Bangladesh Visa online.

The types of Bangladesh visa are entry, visit, tourist and business
visas. U.S. citizens need to pay $160 for a visa. Single-entry
visas are valid for 6 months from issue date. Double-entry and
multiple-entry visas are valid for 6 to 12 months. The duration of stay
for all types of ordinary visas have a maximum of 90 days and are
subject for possible extension.

The general requirements include a valid passport, two copies of completed Bangladesh visa application forms,
two passport-size photographs, fees, and a letter of employment,
invitation and other relevant documents for business trips. Processing
time for single-entry Bangladesh visa takes 24 hours while 48 hours for
all other types of visa. Should you process the requirements by mail,
applicants must wait an answer within 7 to 10 days.

All visitors are eligible for tourist visa upon arrival. Landing
permits, however, are usually given on a maximum duration of fifteen
days.

Those who are landing to use Dhaka as a hub to visit a neighboring
country in the region is allowed without a visa if the stay would not
last longer than 72 hours. Otherwise, a multiple-entry transit visa has
to be obtained before arrival.

If your intention is to obtain Bangladesh work visa, the sponsor must
advice you regarding the requirements. All U.S. citizens who come to
Bangladesh for work should obtain the necessary work permits and
clearances upon arrival.

However, business travelers to Zia, Dhaka and Patenga are allowed
landing permits by the Chief Immigration Officer provided that they
will not stay longer than 15 days. Dual citizens are also exempted
given that their passports are stamped with "No Visa Required".�

Aside from the required Bangladesh visa, all foreigners are
required to pay departure tax with an exemption on children under the
age of two. This is often included in air fares. Otherwise, tax is
collected at the airport during departure time. U.S. citizens are
required the most expensive departure tax.

All visa requirements have to be settled before arrival. It is
difficult to change immigration status once you have arrived in
Bangladesh. Nonetheless, a Bangladesh visa that is about to expire may
be extended at the Directorate of Immigration and Passport located at
Dhaka. U.S. citizens are warned in relation to overstaying. Since 2006,
Bangladesh has increased fines for more than 90 days of overstaying
violation invoking the Foreigners Act of 1946. For more information on
this, applicants should check with the nearest Bangladesh Embassy.

Exemptions on entry and exit requirements can be tackled in
person. Visit the Embassy of the People's Republic of Bangladesh at
3510 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008.